A look at 49ers' top veteran players

Remember the graybeards, because they are important.

These days, every NFL team wants to get younger and build around cheap players on rookie contracts, and for good reason. But every good team also has a group of five or six graybeards - veterans who are at least 30 years old and still excel and pass down the team culture to the new guys. A core of the right graybeards is essential to every important NFL franchise.

The New England Patriots have strong safety Patrick Chung (31), free safety Devin McCourty (31), cornerback Jason McCourty (31), wide receiver Julian Edelman (32), defensive end Michael Bennett (33) and quarterback Tom Brady (41).

The Los Angeles Rams have kicker Greg Zuerlein (31), outside linebacker Clay Matthews (32), cornerback Aqib Talib (33), free safety Eric Weddle (34) and left tackle Andrew Whitworth (37).

All of these players are good enough to start for the 49ers next season.

The 49ers have their own group of graybeards, a significant group for any team on the field and in the locker room. Some of these graybeard 49ers - but not all - would start for other teams. Here are the 49ers' five best players in their 30s.

5. Tight end Garrett Celek, 30: Ability: Not good enough to start for other teams.

Celek doesn't even start for the 49ers. He is their No. 2 tight end behind George Kittle. In 2018, Celek caught just five passes and hardly made an impact. If the 49ers were to cut him today, he might not find another team. His career might end.

Celek has played his entire career with the 49ers. In 2012, they signed him as an undrafted free agent, and in seven seasons Celek has caught just 82 passes.

In 2017, head coach Kyle Shanahan decided to keep Celek instead of tight end Vance McDonald, whom the 49ers traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers before the regular season began. McDonald, 28, started 14 games for the Steelers in 2018 and caught 50 passes. The 49ers kept the wrong tight end.

4. Right guard Mike Person, 30: Ability: Good enough to start for a few other teams.

A year ago, Person wasn't considered good enough to start for any team. He was a backup journeyman who had played for six teams in seven seasons.

In 2018, Person signed a one-year, $915,000 contract with the 49ers to be their backup center. But he became the starting right guard during training camp when Joshua Garnett injured his knee. Person never lost the job.

Person gave up only 3½ sacks in 16 games, plus he blocked well in the run game. He arguably was the 49ers' most consistent offensive lineman last season. After the season, the 49ers rewarded him with a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension - the biggest deal of his career.

If the 49ers hadn't extended Person's contract, one or two other teams probably would have offered him a similar deal to be a starter. His stock is up.

3. Cornerback Richard Sherman, 31: Ability: Good enough to start for teams that use the 49ers' defensive scheme.

Sherman is a future Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever play cornerback. But in 2017, he tore his Achilles tendon, and his injury diminished his athletic ability.

Before Sherman tore his Achilles, he was elite. In 2017, he gave up a 43.8 completion percentage and a 61.2 quarterback rating when targeted. Great numbers.

In 2018, after he had surgery on his torn Achilles, he declined. Opponents still respected him and spent most of their energy attacking the other 49ers defensive backs, who are young and unproven. But when opponents targeted Sherman last season, he gave up a 61.7 completion percentage and a 106.6 quarterback rating. Not good numbers.

After the surgery, Sherman became slower. To compensate, he often lined up a few yards away from receivers, gave them a bigger cushion than in the past, to prevent getting beaten deep. As a result, he gave up lots of short catches.

Sherman should improve next season - he will be two years removed from tearing his Achilles. He's still good enough to start for some of the teams who use the 49ers' defensive scheme (the Seattle Seahawks, L.A. Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars). But the 49ers probably are the only team that would pay Sherman roughly $9 million per year.

Considering what he has accomplished and what he brings to the 49ers, he is an indispensable graybeard.

2. Left tackle Joe Staley, 34: Ability: Good enough to start for more than half the league.

Like Sherman, Staley is declining.

Staley isn't as quick as he used to be. Explosive pass rushers can beat Staley around the edge and he knows it. So, he cheats to the outside and slides as fast as he can to cut them off. This maneuver leaves Staley vulnerable to inside counter moves by pass rushers.

And yet, despite Staley's diminished skillset, he gave up only 5½s acks last season, as opposed to 49ers rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who gave up 12 sacks.

Lots of teams would be happy to have Staley - he could start right now for the defending champion Patriots, who lost their starter, Trent Brown, to the Raiders.

Staley should receive significant interest around the league when he becomes a free agent in 2020. He is far and away the most important graybeard on the 49ers' offense.

1. Kicker Robbie Gould, 36: Ability: Good enough to start for almost every team.

For two years, Gould has been the 49ers' best player, not merely their best veteran.

Since signing with the 49ers in 2017, Gould has made 72 field goals and missed just three. He has had the best two-season stretch of any kicker ever.

Had the Chicago Bears kept Gould, they might have gone to the Super Bowl last season.

Instead, the Bears released Gould, and eventually replaced him with Cody Parkey who missed seven field goals during the 2018 regular season alone.

Then, during the playoffs, he missed a 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Bears lost by one point.

Lots of teams, including the Bears, would pay big money to have Gould. But the 49ers don't want to let him go. They gave him the franchise tag this offseason, which Gould has refused to sign. He reportedly wants to return to the Bears.

If the 49ers can't work something out with Gould, they could sign Kai Forbath (31), Mike Nugent (37) or Matt Bryant (44).

One graybeard to replace another.